Clinton sends first-ever duo to XC state meet
Tim Kumes has been Clinton High School’s cross country coach for nearly a decade, and for the first time in his tenure, CHS is sending two runners to the TSSAA Class A/AA state championships.
Senior Alli Hollifield and sophomore Cooper Bostrom have qualified for the state meet, which will take place this week in the Midstate.
“Since I took over the job eight or nine years ago, we’ve never had anybody make it to state,” Kumes said.
Hollifield will wrap up her high school career by representing the Lady Dragons at the state meet, which will be held Thursday at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville.
Hollifield, who struggled with injuries in 2023, qualified for state by finishing 16th at the Region 2-A/AA championships at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville. She crossed the finish line in 23 minutes, 59.91 seconds.
Kumes said she started the regional race strong, which took place on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
“I was really, really surprised by Alli,” he said. “At the end of the first mile, she was No. 6. I had to tell her to slow down because she couldn’t keep up that pace, or she was going to crash and burn.
“She slowed down and settled in, and she really did well,” Kumes said.
Hollifield was sidelined with injuries for much of last fall, but bounced back with a strong spring season as a distance runner for the Lady Dragons track team.
“She had a decent track season in the spring, and I think that kind of set the stage for cross country,” Kumes said. “She didn’t have a good cross country season (last year) because she was so banged up.
“I love to see good things happen to good kids, good people,” he said. “She’s a great kid and has a great family. Her parents have adopted kids, and she helps them with them.”
Kumes added that Hollifield’s work ethic and attitude have been an inspiration to the team.
“She works extremely hard; she’s a grinder,” Kumes said. “And her attitude — she’s always positive. For her, the glass is always half full. That’s just how she looks at things and how her family looks at things.”
Bostrom, a sophomore, finished 18th in the boys’ regional championship with a time of 19:19.65.
Despite his youth, Bostrom has emerged as a team leader, Kumes said.
“When you think of leaders, you think of your seniors,” Kumes said. “Cooper’s a young kid, but when I tell the kids what we’re going to do, he’s always the first one to say, ‘Yes, sir.’
“He’s set an example for the younger kids on our team. If he stays healthy over the next two years, we’re going to see a very special young man at the state championships.”
The Class A/AA girls’ state meet is scheduled for 2:50 p.m. ET, and the boys’ meet will follow at 3:40 p.m.
As Hollifield and Bostrom prepare for their state debut, their teammates will join them in practice.
“The guys are coming in, and they’re going to practice with him,” Kumes said. “We’re going to have one guy with him on every area of the course to help pace him.”
